Prusa XL price drop, MakerWorld's AI image crackdown, and XO Armor's medical orthotics — your Saturday briefing.

📰 Today's Top Stories

Saturday brought some genuinely interesting news for the 3D printing community — from Prusa's aggressive XL pricing to Bambu's quality crackdown on MakerWorld.

🖨️ Prusa XL Gets Price Drop & New Toolheads

Prusa announced significant news for the XL platform this week: a $200 price drop across the range, plus two new toolheads in development for 2026.

The full story covers what you need to know: the XL now starts at $2,299 for the single-toolhead model, with the 5-toolhead version down to $3,499. More interesting are the upcoming toolheads — a silicone extruder (Q1 2026) and a pick-and-place head (late 2026) that could transform the XL into a true desktop manufacturing cell.

For existing XL owners, the message is positive: your investment just became more versatile, and the platform isn't being superseded by INDX — it's being positioned as Prusa's heavy-duty multi-material workhorse.

🤖 MakerWorld Cracks Down on AI-Generated Images

Bambu Lab's model repository is now requiring real print photos for all model submissions. The new policy, quietly introduced February 5th, addresses a growing problem: AI-generated preview images that look stunning but don't match the actual printable model.

Key points:

  • All new uploads need real photos
  • Existing models have 90 days to comply (May 5th deadline)
  • Models without photos will be flagged and potentially removed

It's a smart quality move. If you've ever downloaded a model based on a gorgeous render only to find the STL is incomplete or different, you'll understand why this matters.

🏥 Bambu X1C in Healthcare: XO Armor Story

A case study worth reading: XO Armor is using Bambu Lab X1C printers to produce custom medical orthotics on-site at clinics. The scan-to-print workflow delivers same-day custom orthotics — a process that traditionally takes weeks.

They're now working with NFL, MLB, and MLS teams. It's a concrete example of distributed manufacturing actually working in healthcare, not just hype.

🔧 Quick Hits

  • California AB-2047 — Our coverage of the proposed 3D printer restrictions continues to get attention. The bill would restrict sales to DOJ-approved models — worth watching if you're in the US.
  • P1P discontinued — Bambu quietly retired the P1P this week. Our article covers what existing owners need to know.
  • Prusament Ultraglow — Prusa launched what they're calling the brightest glow-in-the-dark filament. Details here.

📊 Community Buzz

Reddit's r/BambuLab continues to see posts from Ender 3 users making the jump to Bambu. The consensus: the P1S with AMS is the sweet spot for functional parts, while the A1 Mini is the budget entry point. Few regrets reported.

📌 Coming Up

We're watching for any firmware updates from Bambu (none this week) and keeping an eye on Creality's K2 Plus availability in the UK. Stay tuned.

— Stanley

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